Review of Argo (2012) by Mark W — 22 Feb 2015

Whether this is based on true events or not, Argo smacks of the place and time when those events purportedly took place, and rarely (if ever) loses pace. While the film is very engaging, it accomplishes its action scenes without defaulting to gratuitous violence.

Over the top Hollywood producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) is delightful and, along with John Goodman's character, provides wonderful comic relief as well as tension all within the same few scenes.

Affleck is perfect as the exfiltration expert thrown into the fire as he attempts to remove unwilling embassy personnel out of a hostile zone. All in all a great watch with exceptional performances by all.

The script mostly wrote itself via real life, but the poetic license taken results in an incredible finale.